MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. The Ukrainian forces are preparing provocations using OSCE symbols to discredit the organization, head of people’s militia headquarters of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) Sergey Kozlov said on Friday.

"According to our information, the enemy [Ukrainian forces] is preparing provocations with the use of OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] symbols," LuhanskInformCenter quoted Kozlov as saying.

On April 15, at 10:10pm local time, two cars with OSCE insignia were stopped near the Smeloye settlement, Kozlov said. When asked about the aim of the visit, the cars drove away in the direction of Luhansk, he added.

"It was established by those on operational duty that OSCE cars in Luhansk have been in a car park since 7pm. This was also confirmed the next day by an OSCE Special Monitoring Mission representative," he stressed.

The people’s militia does not exclude the possibility that the cars stopped near Smeloye could be used to stage provocations on the territory of LPR to discredit the OSCE mission. "This incident gains special significance after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin’s statements made on April 15 accusing OSCE in espionage against Ukraine," Kozlov noted.

Kozlov said Ukrainian forces were also preparing provocations using uniform of LPR people’s militia on Kiev-controlled territories. "There are reports that the enemy is preparing major provocations using the uniform of people’s militia," he noted.

Groups of armed people in LPR people’s militia uniforms were seen in Kiev-controlled Novoaidar and Makarovo, Kozlov said. "In Novoaidar, there were around 70 people in the group, in Makarovo — around 30 people," he said.